Association

The Connective Force of the Dream

"The mind leaps from idea to idea, drawing the paths between them and binding them together. In the Physical Realm, this is a metaphor. But in the Dream it is literal fact. Association connects the ideas together and forms the structure that underlies all of the Dreamlands." - Arvandus, Court Wizard of Creoda

Association is one of the primal forces of the Dream. It is the power of ideas to connect to one another, and through a vast network of connections to create vast structures within the Dream. Without Association, the Dreamlands and the beings which are born from it could not exist. The gods and spirits could not exist. While the Egregoric Force is the primary shaper of the Dream and its denizens, Association is the element that makes it all possible.

The Components of Association

Ideas can become associated with each other through several mechanisms, but a few stand out as the most common. These are Similarity, Continuity, Contrast, and Contagion.

Similarity is when two things have elements in common with each other, causing the mind to think of one when they observe the other. The precise basis of the similarity can vary - it might be physical, such as being the same color or shape as another thing. It could also be more abstract - two places might evoke a similar emotion, or they have a history that is like each other. Whatever it is about the two subjects that they have in common creates an association of similarity between them, binding them to each other in the Dream.

Continuity is when two things are part of a larger whole. A doorknob is continuous with a door, and is associated to it. A character has a bond of continuity with their story, and the spoken words of a play are continuous with a written script of the same. Even when the objects are separate (or separated), the bond remains - shoes in a pair share continuity, and the boards of a ship retain their association long after being scattered by a shipwreck.

Contrast is when two objects are so unlike each other that their very differences become a connection. The concepts of Up and Down are linked by contrast, as is light and darkness, or hot and cold. Links by contrast are almost always because they are opposites of each other - or at least that they are seen as opposites by those who think of them.

Finally, there is Contagion. This is when two things coexist in proximity with each other long enough that they become associated, even though there is nothing else that ties them together in people's minds. A person and their home form an association this way, as do friends who are dissimilar but frequently seen together.

Of course, this is a simplification. Most ideas within the Dream are bound by multiple connections of similarity. For example, siblings are continuous with their family and their community, while also having connections of similarity and contagion, and may be dissimilar enough to also share a connection of contrast. None of these elements prevent the other forms of association from forming.

Eide: Aggregate Associations

One of the consequences of Association in the Dream is the formation of Eide, a kind of aggregate idea born out of all the associations around a particular concept. Each Eidos is representative of a particular idea, and exists as a conceptual representation of that idea. For example, the concept of 'dog' would have an Eidos in the Dream that is sum of all the ideas about individual dogs, bound together by the power of association. According to some philosophers, it is the existence of the Eide that allow people to recognize the individual representatives of the concept; that without the Dog Eidos, people could not classify the animal they observed as a dog. Others contend that the connection goes in the other direction, and that by recognizing the dog, the observer connects the observation to the Dog Eidos.

Regardless of how they are created, the Eide are extremely powerful within Dream. They represent an accumulation of all the ideas about something, and manifest their concept in all of its complexity. They cannot be destroyed without eliminating all the ideas that comprise them, and they are intimately connected via association to all the individual representations of themselves. Dreamwalkers who are particularly brave will sometimes seek out the Eidos of a concept such as "Wizard", "Monarch", or "God" to see if they can learn things or convince them to act on their behalf. It is unknown what has happened to those who actually met these Eidos, for they have not returned to report on the encounter.

While Eide like "Dog" or "Wizard" manifest as Eidolons within the Dream, others appear as entire Dreamlands. One such example is the Eidos known as "Lost". It is a vast territory within the Dream that contains all the things in the world that have become associated with the idea of being lost. To enter into it, a Dreamwalker must become known as lost themselves, both to themselves and to enough thinking beings to create the association. They must completely embrace the sensation of being lost, and then they will find they can enter into the "Lost" Eidos. Once there, they can seek out and find things that are also lost, and study the associations that bind them. Of course, once the Dreamwalker learns where the thing they seek is, it has a good chance of inverting its connections and becoming "Found" - vanishing from the Land of Lost Things entirely. Then the Dreamwalker must themselves become found and seek out the object anew before they can attempt to draw it out of the Dream.

Association and Magic

The bonds of Association are integral to the performance of both Magic and Folk Magic. When a True Mage casts a spell, association is what permits the spell to find its target. When the True Mage is able to directly perceive the target, the bonds are easily formed by the perception. But when it is not, they can use the power of associative links to guide the Magic where they wish it to go.

An associative link is something that is bound by the power of association to something else. Ultimately, everything is an associative link to something, but most of the time a mage has a specific target in mind. In order to carry the force of a spell, an associative link must be quite strong - while a person might be associated weakly to all who share their hair color, that isn't enough to transmit the magic across.

The best associative link is a person's True Name. If this is unavailable, a piece of their body will work well; strands of hair or drops of blood are commonly used for this. Other links include family members, prized possessions, or anything that is integral to the target's story within the Dream. An object might be targeted from the place where it was created, or using a tool integral to its formation. Anything which bears a strong link can be used, if the caster can identify it as such. Many mages hide their origins and life stories as a defensive tactic against this - if nobody knows where you came from, they cannot use your childhood home against you.

Folk Magic operates similarly, although the details may shift with the specific tradition. In many places, the folk magician must create a simulacrum of the target which includes the associative link, such as a doll with the target's hair or nails sewn into the body. This bolsters the existing link by evoking the associative mechanism of similarity, and when done with great skill can convert a weak link into one strong enough to carry the magic. You can learn more about Magic and Folk Magic here.

Association and Dreamwalking

The conscious use of Association is the key to navigating The Dream, and Dreamwalkers must master it or become hopelessly lost. When attempting to travel to a particular location within The Dream, the Dreamwalker must find the connections the ideas in their immediate vicinity have to those closer to where they wish to be. The connections must be strong enough for the Dreamwalker to use - a single person musing about how one column reminds them of another is typically not enough. But knowing that two buildings were built by the same person could be. Dreamwalkers must be masters of this kind of information, linking one idea to another and then stepping across the bond of association towards their destination. The best dreamwalkers can go almost anywhere with a short journey, but those who let their minds wander will become hopelessly lost. You can read more about Dreamwalking here.

Type

Metaphysical, Supernatural

The Dream and other Realms

The Dream is one of the three realms that interact to create our world. It is the realm of thoughts, ideas, concepts, and imagination. Every thinking being in the world interacts with and contributes to the Dream, and it is an integral component of the world as we know it. You can read more about the Dream here.

If you want to know more about how the entire world is constructed, you can read about the Structure of the Universe here.

Association and the Spirit Realm

The Spirit Realm is known, among other things, as the realm of connection. The force of association is deeply connected to this realm as well as the Dream, and serves as the primary method by which the two realms interact. Associative bonds formed within the Dream also impress themselves into the Spirit, and allow for the resonances of spiritual energies to harmonize and influence each other. You can read more about the Spirit Realm here.

Association and Avatars

When a god imbues a person with their power and makes an Avatar, they are creating a bond of association to that person. As with all such connections, it goes both ways, and the Avatar can then be used as a way to connect to or target the god with magical spells. Because of this, some gods choose not to empower Avatars, and avoid the exposure such a powerful agent creates. You can read more about Avatars here.

Association and Invasive Narratives

Association is never a single connection - it is a network of them, binding many ideas together. In the Great Ring, this network can create a dangerous phenomenon known as an Invasive Narrative. This happens when a person or a place develops an associative link to some story structure within the dream. The link pulls on the person, drawing them to become more similar to the story, strengthening the link. This then pulls more elements of the story into the physical realm, and it begins to form new links to anything similar within its network. Since stories are often full of differing versions and ideas, it can often find enough connections to keep manifesting, and pull the people it has bound itself to into playing out its narrative, often with disastrous consequences. You can read more about Invasive Narratives here.